Putin unveils new rules for Russia’s use of large nuclear weapons | Nuclear Weapons News

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia could respond with nuclear weapons if attacked with conventional weapons in recent changes to the country’s nuclear doctrine.

In a televised meeting of Russia’s Security Council, Putin announced that under the planned revisions, an attack by a non-nuclear power “with the participation or support of nuclear power” would be seen as a “coordinated attack on Russia.” Federation”.

Putin insisted that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional attack that posed a “great threat to our sovereignty”, a vague formulation that leaves wide room for interpretation.

The Russian president is the main decision maker on Russia’s nuclear weapons and needs to give his final approval to the document.

The move appears to significantly lower the threshold for Russia to use nuclear weapons and comes as Ukraine’s Western allies consider whether Kyiv would allow Kyiv to use long-range weapons to strike warheads inside Russia, and a month after Kyiv began encroaching on Russia. unexpectedly. Kursk region.

Putin did not directly refer to Ukraine, but he said that the revision of the doctrine is necessary in view of the rapidly changing world situation that has created new threats and dangers for Russia.

Russia has been making slow but steady gains in Ukraine since launching its countrywide offensive two and a half years ago and is trying to dissuade Kyiv’s Western allies from bolstering their support.

Putin has made few clear threats of nuclear attack since starting his war and has suspended Russia’s participation in the New START treaty with the US, which limits the number of nuclear weapons each side can use.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the West to ignore Russian threats, while his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said Putin’s recent comments were more than just bad words.

“Russia no longer has the tools to threaten the world other than nuclear weapons,” Yermak said. “These instruments will not work.”

‘It’s never good’

Russia’s existing nuclear doctrine, outlined in the 2020 law, states that Moscow can use nuclear weapons in the event of an enemy attack or conventional attack “when the existence of the state is at risk”.

Russia hawks have been calling for the doctrine to be strengthened for months, saying the current version is vague and leaves the impression that Moscow will not use nuclear weapons.

Putin emphasized the revised doctrine and described the conditions for using nuclear weapons in detail, and that they could be used in the event of a major air attack.

“The circumstances of Russia’s move to use nuclear weapons are clearly outlined” in the updates, he said.

“We will consider the possibility when we receive reliable information about the launch of large-scale attack equipment in the air and space and they cross our national border,” added Putin, citing “strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, hypersonic and other flying vehicles.”.

The current version of the document states that Russia will use its nuclear weapons if it receives “reliable information about the launch of ballistic missiles targeting the territory of Russia or its allies”.

Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russian territory with missiles and drones in response to Moscow’s attacks.

“Regardless of whether you think this is a mistake or not, it’s never good when a major nuclear power relaxes the conditions for nuclear use in its public policy,” said Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at RAND, on the X website.

Putin also said the revised doctrine would bring neighboring Belarus under Russia’s nuclear umbrella.

President Alexander Lukashenko, a Putin ally who has ruled Belarus for more than 30 years, has allowed Moscow to use his country’s territory to send troops into Ukraine. He also allowed the Kremlin to install some of Russia’s strategic nuclear weapons there.

Russia has the largest nuclear power in the world. Together, Russia and the US control 88 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons.